


The Ruins of the Deadeyes

by Pandagirl23



Series: Enass-AU [49]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adventures in Ruins, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Genius Shuri (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Kid Fic, Maria Stark is Not Tony Stark's Mom, Mentor James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Mentor Tony Stark, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Original Character(s), Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Peter Parker & Shuri Friendship, Post-Canon, Protective Tony Stark, Shuri and Harley Keener Friendship, Tony Stark is Good With Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29421669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandagirl23/pseuds/Pandagirl23
Summary: The kids are taken to Sicily by Tony and Rhodey, all the kids, tech and flesh. With robot kids being spoiled, all 7 of the gaggle of children go out exploring the countryside lead to an unexcepted and rather terrifying adventure.*No kids are harmed but monsters are.
Series: Enass-AU [49]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017507
Kudos: 9





	The Ruins of the Deadeyes

**Author's Note:**

> I made up the monsters, that is it, those are the notes. Oh, and it comes off the backbone of Where is you Grey. This was going to be a chapter fic, but it turns out to be a long one-shot.
> 
> I was heavily inspired by movies like The Descent and like Quarantine with the creatures. (I like monsters, creatures, and horror stuff, surprise)
> 
> As usual: If the story time period is confusing, please do start at Move in Day but for Tony’s quirks and issues, please start around Flare in the Dark and Tinker Wheels. If you just want to read the story, again enjoy!! 😊

Bots… Check.

Rhodey, Pepper, hooligans, tech hooligans…. Check.

Shuri…Not Check.

Tony closed down a screen running over the fuel tank in the jet. Double checked to see Rhodey chatting with FRI, fixing her little propellors. Pepper adjusting the straps on Dum-E because the bot keeps trying to free himself from his confines. Butterfingers behaving, like they usually do, no issues there. U, pretty sure she stole Peter’s calculator again. Harley, probably trying to Giacomo to come along or shit-talking Valen in another phone game. He might need to start a marketplace for online app games, with the number of times they switch games, he would not be surprised they hate a game after they play for a few hours.

Sighing, he wandered back over to the jet fluffing out his hair, right, they are waiting for T’Challa to bring his sister along. Shuri is joining after seeing the events that the kids got into. He again told T’Challa he will make sure the kids don’t get hurt or into something that is life-threatening. T’Challa, the reasonable man he is reassured him but had worry lacing his voice. He would too if he found his sister and brother were hanging out with people who attract trouble like a plague… wait. That was him.

Good thoughts about himself. A good thought.

Right, Shuri, coming along, to Sicily. It was a little bit to much on his brain with the number of kids that would be clumped together but hearing from both Shuri’s mother, sister-in-law, and big brother about her needing friends her own age and in her brain bracket, well yeah. He gets it. Big place, no one your age, to smart for your own good. It is a reason why he some grabbed to mentees in the same age group of the same intelligence, maybe Peter has an edge in bio but so does Bruce on him. Diversity is a new appeal. It what makes things move. Every wheel is the same but different.

So, waiting for Shuri to come and join in on the band of smart brainiacs who attract trouble as tech attracts him. 

A notification popped up both on his phone and through Extremis, blinking his eyes back to brown, he took note that they were coming here in 2 minutes. Conveniently, Tony planned this around the time T’Challa had a meeting with the ACCORDS and Thor about a small trade deal or something. Then another text about their own talks about getting another school opened in more destitute parts of the world. A way to give others a chance to learn. Maybe have the kids go in and do labs. Right future fun stuff later.

“Okay, everyone, Shuri should be coming in two minutes.” He spoke out to the others, eyes on him, even the bots.

Peter tilted his head with a shy smile rubbing the back of his head, “So, she is joining this one time or is she… you know? A mentee also? I know she is a whiz in technology, a real tech genius. The suit being designed by her, that her brother wears, which is really amazing.”

Harley covered the light brown boy's mouth looking at their mentor, “Yeah, is she full-time or one time?”

Tony rolled his eyes at Harls's bluntness, oh it’ll be a riot seeing him, Valen, and Shuri all talk and then argue. Then get along like a field on fire, after the six of them were the fire that burned a different field down, “She is full-time, she doesn’t have friends around her age, and hanging out with a bunch of adults can get weird and uncomfortable. Too old for younger kids but too young for most adult things.”

“Plus, you all are little monsters, and surely, with her added, you all can come up with a plan to rule over us adults before dinner.” Rhodey chimed giving FRI a pat on her drone body watching an aerial flip zooming over to the bots.

“Rhodey and Tony, you two do not give these 7 ideas, if anything you both would join just to give pointers.” Pepper teased, but the undertone sounded like she was serious about what she said. Giving Peter and Harley a look, both teens clamped their mouths closed as did Rhodey and Tony.

Satisfied, Pepper went over to the jet door seeing one Shuri in jeans, wearing a t-shirt and looking comfortable. Less regalia and more I am going on vacation. T’Challa less comfy looking and more meeting worthy, “Your majesty.”

Shuri gave a bright smile putting her hand out, “Shuri is fine ma’am. You can call my brother the King Meow.”

Pepper smiled back shaking her hand, “Pepper is fine or if you like, Miss Potts can do too.”

From within, there is a bark of a laugh from the genius. Shuri blushed but already enjoying the warm welcome and the only half annoyed eye roll from her big brother. Turning to her brother, she gave him a quick hug, “Go, I’ll be fine.”

“Well, I have to see the man on the plane,” T’Challa replied hugging his sister. On cue Tony slipped past Pepper, going down the stairs.

“T’Challa, Shuri, how was the trip out here?” Tony asked putting his hands in his pockets rocking on his heels. In sneakers, a sweater, and sunglasses on top of his head.

“Well, I have to say the trip here was easy. And you look very comfortable today.” T’Challa motioned to his outfit seeing the man shrugging with a lazy smile.

“Going out to see my family, so dressing a little more casual is a nice thing.”

Shuri rolled her eyes at the adults talking, looking at the plane she took in everything she could. It looked like a basic commercial flier but knowing the man in question is his own bonafide genius, she knew inside the plane was something different.

The princess was going to slip on up to the plane when a drone flew out of the jet door, a sound of ‘No! Dum-E! Stop shoving!’ was heard and the drone buzzed by the genius’s ear. The fascinating astonishment was the way the shorter brunette eyes flickered blue, like the light in his suits.

“Shit, okay, T’Challa, my robot kid is shoving my other robot kid. Shuri, you can climb on… I got… shit.” Tony turned to the plane shouting out already, “DUM-E stop shoving Butterfingers!” The genius ran up and into the plane with the drone following along, “FRI, please keep U distracted.”

Shuri's eyes expanded, glittering with excitement already about this whole thing. The only reason is that him having Ais is one thing, Ultron is another but hearing about the three infamous little bots, the one that manages to steal her brother’s wallet, is an exciting introduction already.

“I’ll be fine! Trust me.” She almost bounced over, only to be turned to face her brother seeing his eyes big and worry, but misting over, “T’Challa, brother, I will be fine.”

“I know… I worry but, are you sure? It could be a lot. There will be a lot of people. Tony, has a big family.” T’Challa reminded, keeping a steady and safe hold on his little sister.

Shuri nodded again, firm in her want to go and hang out with other kids. The more she thinks about it, the more excitable she is about this, “We have a big family too brother. Our family is our people. We have a very big family. I will call you when I land. On my heart.”

Sighing out, the King hugged his kid sister tight, “Be good and be yourself.”

“I will trust me. Now go.” Shuri shot a big smile heading to the plane.

T’Challa was sent a message two hours after the plane left, with his sister on board, a picture that eased his heart and worry. His little sister, two boys, Harley and Peter, he can only guess all talking while doing something with a holo screen. Seems to be the teen boys teaching her how to use it. Sending the genius thank you and have fun, he began his long day.

The flight to Sicily was easy, Shuri watched the bots chase one another or the ball. Listening to a very long debate between Colonel Rhodes and Dr. Stark about the merits of a scream queen and a killer queen. Then the curveball my Miss Potts that got the boys cheering and declaring her the victor, was when she mentioned the scream queen becoming the killer queen.

This brought the boys in question, Harley has the same sass and smarminess just like the AI-controlled drone, who also control the plane, that part is awesome to learn to, sassing his mentor. Peter is a little shy but as Dr. Stark calls the other genius teen, a smartass. It must help to know she is among people when Rhodes laughed at the fake shock offense when she sassed him on accident. To say that the three adults who should be watching were very relaxing, was refreshing. She loves her brother and mother, but they can get very protective. It makes sense. Princess and her father died because of his status and what he was trying to do.

Hearing how the billionaire genius talked about Giacomo-James, and if Rhodes is not that James, then it must be Mr. Barnes, means that the white wolf is well that is good. She got updates about the arm and about him from Dr. Stark. But seeing the professional and the relax was night and day.

Peter and Harley did tell her, the whole family might adopt her forever and replace Peter as the darling sweetheart. She doubted that Peter was grossly sweet. She said too only to get a reply that had too much attitude. Luckily U, she loves U, had her back by stealing Peter’s calculator again.

She asked what is like leaving with the others, the genius shrugged but didn’t further elaborate. She understands about not wanting to talk about the sadder parts of life or even the parts that made a person angry. She gets angry sometimes when she thinks about how her father died.

Pushing the thoughts aside, she mentioned she was happy he and Mr. Barnes were doing well. That also seems to lift the spirits back up on the plane.

Getting to Sicily and the home where the tech genius lived for as long as he did, was wholesome and earth grounding. It was huge and it wasn’t ridiculously small, but it was cozy. Home. Shuri already a boatload of voices, seeing how Peter and Harley went through back getting their own greetings. How the adults were greeting the other adults, then introducing her.

“This Shuri, the princess and Wakanda, and a little smarty pants too.” Tony spoke to his siblings, “And Shuri, these two creatures are my sister and brother. Zira Nesreen and Mecili.”

Shuri shook both their hands, she heard about them when she was bored and wanted to know what was exploding in America, well Dr. Stark secret family. She was wondering where his cousins were at. But hearing the cacophony noises from inside the home and now the food wafting in the area, she felt her stomach rumble.

“Nice to meet you both.”

“Antonio, Tristan, and Lillianna are helping Azan and momma with the food. All the guest rooms are made up.” Nesreen smiled nudging her big brother inside.

“Which means my room is the same tinker hell that is?” Tony gave a cheeky avoiding a playful swipe from his sister, “And Shuri, here give me your bag, the girls have a guest room, you don’t mind sharing with them? The boys all sort huddle together like they are cavemen.”

“It is a guy thing Tones.” Rhodey chimed chuckling along with Mecili who was cleaning his glasses barely keeping a grin off his mouth.

“I am cold-blooded! I need heat.” The genius defended himself.

Shuri watched the adults head inside, getting into the merits of discussing the details of cuddling, preserving body heat, and being cave dwellers. She looked to the back gate seeing a young girl and Peter peeking at her over the gate.

Then like gophers, they dipped behind the gate. Looking at the indoors, she wandered to the gate, down stone steps into an ever-growing garden. Getting to the patio, she blinked in surprise at the people gathered around. A woman, who must be Missus Daw, Dr. Stark and his siblings’ mother, gardening. The teens all gathered around already deep in an experiment. She is going to go over there and introduce herself.

Before she could take a step, she felt the mom's eyes. It wasn’t a, you are in trouble mom eyes, but more a warm mom eye. Turning over to Missus Daw, she watches give a small, sweet smile gesturing over to the teens.

Introductions can wait then. Taking a stride over to the others, she peeked seeing the woman hug her son tight, hugged both Miss Potts and Rhodes tight. Greeted the bots that zipped down the ramp and patted FRIDAY’s casing with familiarity. It was all very homey.

Getting over to the teens, they all stopped, and Harley stood up standing by her hands on his waist, looking like a leader. Oh, this is getting interesting, “Ladies and jerks…”

“I’m looking at you Harley.” One boy mentioned pushing glasses up leaning back with a smirk.

“Screw you, Valen.” Harley huffed outcrossing his arms, “Right, let me introduce you to our new smart member…”

Shuri covered her mouth to hide and chuckle as once again, he was interrupted by a girl, who looks close to her age, “Shuri, the Princess of Wakanda! Our uncle told us, Harley.” The girl stood up fixing her pants smiling at Shuri, “Hello, I am Aya Meredith Daw and this is my little sister Christine Daw. Our father Mecili.”

“Nice to meet you.” Shuri smiled more shaking Aya’s hand.

The other boy grinned up at her holding a wrench and some nails in his hand, “Ah, sorry, my name is Johnathan-Ali, my brother is Valentino, but we all call him Valen. We are twins. Our mom is Nesreen. But I am sure uncle already toldyousoI’msorry—”

Peter reached over covering Johnathan's mouth, “He does the fast-talking thing that I do I get nervous.”

Shuri laughed out loud this time nudging Harley who chuckled along with her laughing, “You wanted to do a big thing. Extra and unneeded.”

“It is very much needed.” Harley retorted sniffing in a fake hurt but the way his lips ticked up, he wasn’t offended in the slightest.

Shuri sat among the other teens, already brought into the fold, talking about a small project they wanted to do and a small exploration of a ruin. She heard about ruins and caves in Wakanda and the way her brother made most exits forbidden now, courtesy of her Hydra head. It was the coolest thing in her room. Yeah, she has the tech and cool gadgets, but a hydra head is a little amazing.

The story goes that, according to the twins that there is a story about how entering the ruins at first was simple, a little calming, and interesting but the further you went the stranger it became. With each flight of stairs taken the more bizarre everything becomes. The more bizarre, the stranger and dangerous it becomes. The twins only know this because Tony, their mother, father, and cousins went down there, and then their uncles went down there as well, a floor lower only to freak out again about seeing an elongated white creature fleeing by.

Shuri can see the red flags, but they were only going to explore one floor and leave. Already know the danger that could lie under. The fact that her land and her brother are imbued with otherworldly power and they have their city built thanks to the metal from space. Also, the giant reptile head mounted on her wall, all of this believable.

In agreeance, they turned in time seeing Tony and Mecili fighting with ice cubes. Both squawking and throwing insulting academically sound words at each other. Nesreen was helping Enass with the garden. Azan and Tristen were talking about it along with Rhodey who was trying to get a twig out of Dum-E wheels. U in the corner and Butterfingers somewhere inside. All of the thoughts were distracted until Enass locked eyes with all of them.

“Don’t move…” Peter began quietly.

Christine giggled covering her mouth. Aya facepalmed giving Peter a shove. Peter fell into Johnathan who let out a loud shout crashing to the floor. Harley broke down in tears laughing. Shuri laughed a little already enjoying the whole. Less science, which is saddening but an adventure honestly. Her brother is not going to get her to leave without dragging her.

“Be careful kids.” She spoke out loud.

Harley pointed himself and the other teens, to the robots and FRIDAY who was hovering near Melina near the tree, or to Tony and Mecili squabbling shaking their shirts from the ice cubes they shoved down the back of their shirts.

Harley looked to Tony, who looked at all of them, “Careful going where?”

“Nowhere?” All the teens answered almost at the same time.

Shuri shrugged, “I am just following the pack.”

Rhodey peeked on chuckling, “Sounds like me with Tones, followed him out in the rain one time and got sick.”

“A bet is different Honeybear.” Tony blew out a thing of air letting his eyes roll, “Plus, Nesreen bet both of us.”

“I got 20 dollars out of it too. I ran through that rain like a champ and got her drenched in rainwater.”

“Worse bet I made and Vasval kept avoiding me.” Nesreen bemoaned putting a hand to her head leaning over her chair.

Pepper laughed looking back at the teens who were caught edging to the gate, “Going where though you seven? You have precious cargo.”

Valen snorted tugging on Harley’s cheek, “We know Harley is cargo but he ain’t precious.”

Harley grumbled swatting Valen’s hand away looking bothered by being referred to as precious, “I am not precious I am freaking adorable. Ask Peter and the old man.”

Peter and Tony looked at each other and then shook their heads, “No, precious.”

Peter laughed dodging out of the way of Harley’s reaching pinches. Shuri laughed more seeing a more maneuverable teen staying a good fingertip away from the pinching.

“You all are precious adorable cargos though.” Nesreen evened out the claims getting Valen a groan of mom, Johnathan blushing, Christine thanking her, Aya tugging on her hair, Harley shouting a victorious shout of ‘yes’, Peter shrinking becoming also embarrassed, Shuri nodding accepting that she is both of those and more.

Enass walked up to the kids looking at them all with a soft smile, “Be careful kids. Don’t want the big children to worry too much.” She smiled more when she heard a wave of momma and giggling laughter erupt behind her. Her little flare being loudest in his own embarrassed keening.

A clattering of a chair fail and squabbling between the two MIT graduates about a phone and pictures. Harley leaned overseeing the two grown men fighting over a phone then looked back to his friends' grandmother, “We will ma’am.”

“Harley, Enass is a fine sweetie. You keep everyone safe, Harley.”

Harley blushed more, realizing that the mechanic and the Colonel must have talked about Ultron situations twice now. Nodding to her, fighting off the pinkening of his cheeks, “I can try ma’am. We keep each other safe.”

Enass smiled more giving them all a bright smile, “You kids go on and have fun.”

Tony perked up, “I will be coming to find you, little troglodytes, in 4 hours before dinner!”

All the kids shouted back with an _okay_.

The teens made their way down a winding dirt path, grass has long grown over the spots one Ultron-raptor made. The budding flowers and cooling breeze coming in from the ocean and sea.

Helping each other down slopes and wobbly steps, the group came upon old ruins. Some openings were sealed off and others were open with signs saying watch your step. Days a tour guide comes to talk about the location. Valen talked about what entryways were made of and when they were discovered.

The entryway steps were firm at first glance, all of it is made of stone and cobble. Some parts replaced with clay stones. The walls were lit by candles that seem never seem to be touched by many winds. Digging through a bag they pulled out of a log, the kids turned on the flashlights, Shuri delighted in having her own. She can count ten ways to upgrade the flashlights. Harley mentioned he found four ways to change the flashlight and make it a weapon. Peter just says he would chuck it and run.

Going down the steps, they formed a formation of two in front, two in the back, and rest in the middle. Harley and Shuri took the front, Peter and Valen took the back. Shuri listened out to any noises and not finding anything so far spooky. Only droplets and the beginning of echoes in their voices.

The first chamber showed nothing serious. A few bones, okay serious. Long dead. Webs decorated most if not all of it. Closed stone caskets and another set of stairs. Christine reminded them all, the adults-only managed to make it to floor three before getting spooked again.

All being reminded, they became alerted once more. Ensuring that nothing will come up behind them, the teens started spreading looking over the ruins. Shuri started snapping pictures of eroded text walking over Valen who looked positively excited at the old text. Already thinking about showing his uncle the text. Christine and Peter snapped images of old daggers and blades that laid by the covered stoned coffins. Harley, Aya, and Johnathan peeked down the next flight of stairs. The same lit candles but if they can peer a little further down, they can see the transition of candles to torches.

Wondering where the tour guide stops, the teens reformed their formation but this time Shuri and Harley in the back, Valen and Peter in the front. Valen working with Aya peeking over his shoulder to parsing out the old language. A harmonious combination of this land people. Close to Sicilian but not quite.

“The ruins, I am guessing from some of the images, must be where they buried their dead. This,” Valen mumbled then lifting his phone to his brother and to Shuri. “Can you make out one of the symbols?”

“A warrior burial site,” Shuri spoke out trying not to let her voice carry.

She wonders if this is how the adults feel when investigating happenings around the globe and in the universe. Maybe, Strange handles this more than heroes who handle robots, bad guys, space goo, space aliens… right, maybe they ran into this before.

“You think Loki and Strange deals with old dead text?” Christine to others looking around.

“I am pretty sure; they do deal with dead languages and text. Latin isn’t the only dead language.” Harley answered keeping a sure eye on his footing up ahead.

“Then he works with Coptic and Sumerian languages then,” Aya added in seeing the strange way the rocks line up and starting lineup. Instead of the evening, the stones are lining up perfectly. Block, line, block, line, and so forth.

Hearing Aya’s hum, Shuri looked to where she keeps looking, “Physics says that shouldn’t work well in holding up additional weight and upper floorings.”

Aya nodded eyes keep glancing back and forth of the walls, “It shouldn’t but it could. I am not sure what else could be holding these walls up beside pure stubbornness of the builders.”

“That makes sense. Have you seen the Pyramids chambers, those were of pure stubbornness too?” Johnathan added starting to look at the walls with the two girls.

“Okay… I am not sure if Mr. Stark and they notice this or even really mentioned it to Strange, Thor, and Loki.” Peter spoke seeing almost clearly in the low lighting stairway.

All the teens nodded that the businessman and they may have not mentioned it to the other team members. If the creatures are real, it might be easier to leave them alone.

Entering the floor that had the adults scrambling out of the ruins in the first place was a spacious, far more spacious flooring. The coffins though had wooden coverings, shields, and armors littered among the dead. No bones and skulls found. Yet the torches in stairway 3 spoke that was the last flooring that the tour guide goes down.

Leaving down to floor three, to a similar floor plan of floor two spoke of another higher-ranking fighters or warriors who died in battle. Valen, Shuri, and Peter noted down the markings, coffins, and weapons among the dead.

The third floor had a different atmosphere. Here on floor three, there were warrior garments, cloaks, gold, treasure, weapons, vases, long dusted away fruit and food place by the same stone coffins. Wood and stone top covering. All but one. This down the name carved out and blackened. It seems this one was presumed dead but not truly before they set the stone top with wood above him.

The terrifying thought of being buried alive, in a stone coffin.

The teens continued exploring when the sounds of crunching bones and gnawing sounds echoed throughout the room. Huddling together in a tight group, the teens looked around shining lights here and there.

Johnathan’s light flashed over another entryway down an unlit set of stairs and the white thing that adults shuddered about facing up but not seeing. Johnathan bit his tongue keeping a grip on the light. Christine covered her mouth. Shuri put a finger to her lips along with Harley who kept his lips tight. Aya reached over slowly, Valen grabbing her hand keeping an eye on the creature that kept listening.

A gurgling noise, sounding throaty and deceptively like an animal’s growl. Only if it was an animal.

Valen fixed his grip on Aya’s hand feeling two hands from Shuri and Christine so he doesn’t fall over holding up Aya.

Aya reached the rock picking it up slowly, blinking back a bounty of fear sweat. Getting pulled up silently, she looked at Peter with the rock. Peter looked at the rock then the creature staring at the other entryway of the third-floor chamber. That way had noises of wind and whistling from below. Low whispers, very low hush whispers, it can hear past. The young hero turned, righted his aim, and flung the rock as hard as he can listening to the pounding, clacking, and tumbling of the distraction.

The creature followed it on four longs spouting out hisses and gurgles after the clacking rock. The gurgles never grew distant and the rock may have alerted to a further horde of the elongated eyeless creatures.

The young mechanic engineer looked around that didn’t have creature one and the creature family swarming up. The fact that pebbles on the floors rumbled, means there is tens or possibly tons living in this ruin. Seeing a door and the not the way they came, he tugged along Christine, keeping her in front.

“This way!”

Shuri looked back to the entryway they came from blocked and sealed, looking at the two entryways, the one the first eyes monster went down was now sealed and the other it was seen chewing bones by was wider now.

Getting the others through, Shuri helped Peter shut the stone door behind them.

The room they were in was covered in garments, the same offering dishes, vases, pottery, and jewelry. The stone coffins here was smaller and polished as if it was for a different class of people.

The teens looked around, searching for a door the leads up and not down. They find three doors aside from the one the closed behind them. One leads up but the draft from this is coming down, the second has no stairs and is a hallway, and the last are stairs that lead downstairs with an upward draft.

The obvious choice says to follow the updraft and take the stairs down, other obvious choice says to take the stairs leading upward. All the teens debated and talked it through, but everyone concluded flatly is a way to go.

Shuri and Harley took both of their flashlights and jerry-rigged a much more powerful flashlight, thanks to Peter having his own toolset on hand. With one high powered light, the formation changed, Harley and Shuri in the front, Peter and Valen bring up the rear, Valen sacrificing his own phone battery for light giving it to Shuri. Aya was holding several rocks in her arms and Christine had one ready in case she has to throw for a distraction. Johnathan kept a light on the ceiling, something watching a horror movie about things in a cave ceiling.

That… didn’t put any of them at ease.

“I swear, we are going to see Tony’s and our parents' faces in a mixture of amused, upset worry. How does that worry?” Johnathan whispered looking around again.

Shuri snorted as quietly as she can, “My brother may ban me when we get out of here.”

It was hopeful thoughts, the other saying to that is ‘ _if_ ’. A word that that is like saying ‘maybe’. Not a definite to get out of here alive and not a confirmed no, they were dying down here.

Christine looked to the intelligent princess giving her a wobbly smile, “To be honest, I am sure he won’t ban you; I can say it was my idea.”

Shuri blinked then shook her head, “No.”

“Yeah, it was our idea,” Valen whispered raising his hand above his head on occasion to see if a draft would return.

Johnathan, the nodding visible in the light, gave his youngest a comforting pat on the shoulder, “Valen is right, we can take the fall.”

Harley looked over his shoulders waggling his finger, “Now, we are the hooligans that drive mine and Pete’s mentor insane. We all can take the fall and make sure Tony and Rhodey don’t flip out. Then stop your brother from murdering the mechanic.” Harley explained, trying to bring an ounce of cheer.

Shuri laughed quietly already seeing Dr. Stark trying to elude her brother but also taunting him. Getting a burst of courage, the princess looked at the others, “Look if we can get out of here alive, we can mark it down as the first team outing.”

“First dinosaurs and now humanoid eyeless creatures,” Aya smiled a little, “I think Miss Danvers is going to grab us.”

“Nah, I am already learning under the old man and his winter soldier,” Harley spoke out feeling a little burst of excitement.

Shuri grinned looking back at Valen, “Hey, did you grab any information from the last room before left?”

Valen adjusted his glasses peering at his phone making a soft hm, then a noise far happier than his hm, “Right, so we have to hurry to get out before sundown, so like literally three hours before the dinner.”

Peter groaned pushing his glasses up his head, “Done by dinner. I am feeling the cliches here.”

Shuri heard most others laugh then she saw the pieces slide together looking at Peter and then seeing the news and cameras from her brother’s suit, “Oh you are spiderman.”

“W-What? Oh, come on? How? I wasn’t even obvious this time?” Peter groaned again rubbing his face.

Valen snickered nudging the teen superhero, “She is the tech provider for her people, kingdom, and her brother. Peter, the suit he wore, in that incident. Plus, you have a very similar body composition.”

“Yep, and that you just admitted through that complaint Mr. Parker.” Shuri snickered letting out a huff of air to try and mask her fake laughing.

Peter grumped for a minute or so before mumbling out about getting a voice modulator for his suit now and adding padding because them comparing his body to his superhero persona is unfair and against the rules. The young bio-engineer student stopped for a second turning back. He felt the tingle shoot through his head.

Pushing Valen faster, making the three others move and bump into the teens in front of them. Ignoring the questioning complaints. Continuing to push them down, Peter turned around adjusting his stance. Harley shouted to him to keep moving, but Peter stared seeing the first creature, a much bigger creature, searching for them. The eyeless sockets visible with the faint lights, clicking of its throat echoing in the cobble halls.

Peter looked at Harley throwing his eyes up to the ceiling tracing his eyes and head over to the burly creature crawling over them at a decent pace. Too decent, but the slow-moving action means it is having trouble moving through the normal human size halls. Could put a super soldier to shame. Getting the others' nod and waves of being careful, Peter crawled silently on the ceiling holding the flashlight in his mouth.

Each move to the creature was a move the creature was getting closer to his friends. Barely making noise for swallowing, he stopped moving when the creature stopped. Bald, pale head cocking to the side. Earhole pointing upward. Peter heard a purposeful gasp from Christine and the creature turned back to the direction.

The teen hero pointed his light on the soft spot on the head, extremely soft, probably from years of bashing its head on the wall. Looking at his flashlight and at the others. The smart boy dropped down flipping onto this stomach landing on the creature's back.

The other shouted at him at the same time the bigger creatures flailed and raspy scream out in the halls. Already attracting the other eyeless monsters. Peter started mashing his flashlight into the skull still hearing it scream. Peter kept a firm grip avoiding the claws trying to swipe at him. He kept bashing the creature in the head never seeing blood. He felt sick to his stomach about this, but the others were in danger and he was also. Swinging his arm up, he brought the last blow to the burly creature falling with it.

Panting, Peter felt the hands of Harley and Christine dragging him back to the group getting him ready to run. The tingling of danger heightening from all around them.

“They are in the walls.” He moaned out in pain gaining his footing running behind the others.

Johnathan grabbed some rocks from Aya meeting up with Peter throwing the rocks and stones behind them in scatterings. Not sure what that would do for them, but any time bought is best.

Shuri kept running, the adrenaline running through her, the fear and the excitement mixing dangerously in her system. Looking ahead, the princess saw two turns, but the light and a shimmer of sunlight waved at the end of the hall.

What scared the princess and telling the others to push was that the exit was the door, but the door was beginning to be solidified and any other ways seem to begin feeling up with these creatures.

The teens pushed it, Peter carrying Christine, racing against the creatures and the door shimmering to shut on them. Valen looked to see one odd torch never lit hanging oddly on the wall. Sprinting into a running jump, the teen slapped the torch up, making the hall begin to glow and shift, the shimmer of the door closing still continued but the hissing of the creatures slowed them. The halls glowing bright blues and greens, lighting up old words. Words and knowledge were ignored for the value of living to see the next sunrise.

First Harley slid into the first room, Shuri and Aya jumped through, Valen shoved his brother through first watching him tumble with a tumble himself.

The teens looked back seeing Peter running with Christine, the lights fading, the creatures in hot pursuit once more, the door solidifying closer. The shouts for Peter hurry. Harley hands out a chain link forming. Christine reached out clinging to the hero and to the others.

With one hard tug, the two teens were pulled as the wall finished solidified, Peter only losing few hairs off his head and Christine a hair or two as well.

All the teens plopped down in the room they started in, the sunlight still shining through the room, but the second-floor lights were now off. Meaning sunset was coming. At least it was serious.

They all looked at each other before sharing big grins and cheering. High fives shared and the rush still making most of the teens shaking from the intensity of the whole exploration. They all stopped the cheering when the distance growls from beyond the walls echoed into the first room. The seven young intellects hurried up and out the stairs, back to the adults.

When the seven of them made it, there was Tony, Rhodey, Pepper, Nesreen, and Mecilii all standing their arms crossed, hands-on either the hips or waist, of you are Tony then one hand on the waist and the other holding a phone, with T’Challa breathing.

Shit. Better go out with a bang.

The teens explained what happened and how they narrowly escaped. How the white humanoid creatures, they now named Dead Eyes, were chasing them. How Peter went and walloped a big one dead with a flashlight. How Shuri and Harley made a high-power flashlight to light their way. Johnathan and Aya helping with stalling. Valen stalling more with the torch and the translations, despite him saying that the princess helped him out with the translations. How the deeper parts of the ruins were set to close by sundown and how everything shifted and change with each room passed and entered.

Tony remembered ending up in a different ruin with his family, confused, they only got to the third floor, run-up, and ended up somewhere. Thankfully, the ruin had a kindness that day and put them back up to the surface.

The adults were silent, even T’Challa on the phone was, till a heavy sigh from the king came from the cell, “Right, you did warn me, Tony. Are you okay at least Shuri?”

“Yep! I did something a lot cooler than you are lately too big brother.” Shuri teased grinning. The other teens grinned along with her looking at the adults.

“Are we going to have to report to the ACCORDS? Or is it leave alone matter?” Christine asked getting pulled into a warm hug from Mecili who combed some of the dust and cobwebs from her hair.

Nesreen was hugging her boys looking at her big brothers, “Antonio?”

Tony made a noise looking to his big brother, eye big to the colonel and superhero. Rhodey looked to Pepper, who was giving the kids some wipes she carries on her person in case mess happens, or they need it to clean the bots’ cameras, “I mean, it could a matter left alone. They aren’t hurt, they may have discovered normal objects. Old artifacts.”

“Better left in their resting place, respecting the dead, as the Tour Guides tells the guest all the time.” T’Challa continued the thought over the phone.

Everyone was thinking, the more these kids get into situations and resolving them the way they can, eventually someone going to see this and ask for a tiny team of heroes. That will be the day when tiny children run around, fighting crime, and solving mysteries in unrealistic proportions. Tony was a little excited, but that is a choice for all of them to make if they wanted to.

“Thank goodness, you all are resourceful little monsters,” Rhodey spoke out honestly with a kind grin. Giving Peter a once-over, he asked quietly with no anger or things to be upset about, “Are you okay Peter? You went toe to toe with a…” Aya and Harley spoke the name at the same time, “Big burly deadeye must have been unnerving.” The unsaid, that he killed it, despite it being human or once human or something.

Peter nodded, staying strong in resolve looking up to his second mentor, “Yeah, it was either that or us… I would like to choose us more often.” He gave a wobbly smile, he wasn’t sure if it was dead but if it was, he hopes it can rest easier than walking around blind.

Tony grinned talking to T’Challa still on speaker, “T’Challa they named their first creature. It is funnily fantastic. Terrifying because we knew they were down there.”

“I heard you and Rhodes mention it several times when it comes to things of unbelievable events. Make sure they don’t go into any more ruins. From what we can tell the ruins might shift throughout the day.” The king from the phone spoke out from what the kids describe it.

A quick phone call, both boy guardians at this point, knowing they may never really avoid trouble now but knows how to safe. A small change in the story about all of them beating big burly Dead Eye, the rest of the vacation involved sketches, next get together, and plans on making something that could explode similar to the rocket chair situation, as seen from Dum-E perspective.

All the adults watch the events perspire, reliving everything, and Tony and Rhodey shrinking embarrassed for the influence they presented to the children. Shuri and Johnathan adding plans, showing FRIDAY, and helping with additions where can.

Shuri was comfortable, talking shop and mixing in with kids her own age. She was going to give her brother the biggest hug and the newest gear upgrade when she can. Right now, she is planning on making shoes fly.

**Author's Note:**

> After this is a start of an Intermission story. It is a way for me to take a break and sort of having fun. A lot of my intermission stories are plotted out so I am not going in blind.


End file.
